Blackboard

The Content of a Course is made up of the folders, files, text, images, media, links, assessments, and interactive tools assembled and organized by Instructors, Instructional Staff, and Course Builders. Content is added, deleted, edited and organized using the Course Menu and Control Panel.

Adding Files (Syllabus, ppt slides, etc.) New Processes Summer 2011
Adaptive Release
Assignments
Content Areas
Copy,  Move, or Save Content
Copyright
Course Files
Digital Media (E-Reserves, Audio, Film, Images)
Kaltura Media
Learning Modules
Lesson Plans  
Mashups  Now with Kaltura Media - Fall 2012
MathJax
Review Status
Surveys and Tests
Twitter Feed
Video Everywhere New Feature - Summer 2013
Voice Tools
Webspace  
Zip Files  

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Adding/Editing Files

Complete Content Creation Instructions
(Note: The instructions at Blackboard.com may include some content features Princeton does not make available, and may be missing some that Princeton has added.)

Adding Content Quick Start Image (click here for simple, visualized instructions)

Uploading a Syllabus or Other Files (Quick video)

How do I upload my syllabus, PowerPoint lectures, or any non-media type file to Blackboard?

1. Open a Content Area (such as Syllabus) by clicking on it in the course menu.
2. Edit Mode is ON.
3. Click Build Content, then from the Create column, select File.
4. Click Browse My Computer next to Find File. Select the file. (If you have preloaded your files to the Course Files area, select Browse Course.)
5. Type a Name for the file. This is used as the link name for the file and is shown to users. Ensure the title conveys the meaning of the content as no description or instructions can be added to the File content type.
6. Choose a Color of Name (optional).
7. For Manage Permissions, select the option for the appropriate permissions for users.
8. Select Yes or No for Open in New Window. IN THEORY, if No is selected, the content appears in the content frame and users will have access to all Course navigation, such as breadcrumbs or the Course Menu. If Yes is selected, the content appears in a new window or tab and can be viewed alongside other Course content. HOWEVER, results will vary according to the file type and the browser settings of each individual accessing the file.
9. Fill in the Content Options.
   • Click Yes or No to Permit Users to View the Content Item.
   • Click Yes or No to Track Number of Views.
   • Select the Date and Time Restrictions.
10. Click Submit.

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How do I edit content I've already added?

Editing Existing Content Quick Start Image (click here for simple, visualized instructions)

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I want to remove the syllabus (or other any other file) I added and replace it with a different one. What do I do?

METHOD 1

If you have uploaded a file to your course site, such as a syllabus, that you later edit on your computer and want to replace in Blackboard without having to rename it and possibly cause confusion, follow these steps.

Replacing a File (Quick video)

1. Under Control Panel click Files then click on the course ID that appears below it. You should see the file you want to replace listed.
2. Click the Upload button at the top and select Upload Files.
3. Either drag-and-drop or Browse to the file on your computer and Submit.
4. A pop-up will warn you that the file already exists and ask if you want to overwrite it. Select Yes.
5. Now the link to the file that the students see will point to this replacement file.

METHOD 2

This is a "start from scratch" method.

1. Open a Content Area (such as Syllabus) by clicking on it in the course menu.
2. Edit Mode is ON.
3. Click the chevron beside the name of the file or Item.
4. Repeat instructions (above) for adding files.

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How do I add my MS Word document so it displays in the Bb page, without students having to open it and without losing my formatting? (New Feature Summer 2011)

1. Start by putting the contents of your MS Word or similar type document on your computer's clipboard (use the select all + copy function).
2. Open a Content Area or any area that contains the Visual Text Box Editor, such as Discussions.
   
3. Click Build Content, then select Item from the Create column.
4. Name the item and enter any pertinent information in the text box.
5. In the 3rd row of Text Box tools, click the icon furthest to the right and select Paste From Word.
6. A new window will open where you will paste your MS Word text, clean up anything that looks wonky, and click Submit.
7. Fill in the Content Options.
   • Click Yes or No to Permit Users to View the Content Item.
   • Click Yes or No to Track Number of Views.
   • Select the Date and Time Restrictions.
8. Click Submit.

Don't expect it to be a perfect replica of what you had in Word, but usually it will be an improvement, though may need some further tweaking.

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Adaptive Release

Complete Instructions for Using Adaptive Release

How can I restrict access to course materials to students who meet specific criteria?

Through Adaptive Release, you have much more control over who see what and under what circumstances they can see it.

Course content does not always apply to all users in the course. Using Adaptive Release, Instructors can display content to certain users for a limited period of time, or only after users meet (or fail to meet) predetermined requirements. Some content might be applicable to all users in the course, while other content should be audience-specific.

This feature provides the ability for an instructor to create custom scripted lessons that may include any course content and/or activities. Content items, discussions, assessments, assignments, or other material  can be released to students based on a set of criteria such as date/time, specific individuals, group membership, grade on a particular test or assignment, or Review Status.

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Assignments

Complete Assignment Instructions

Student Guide to Assignments (a pdf quick guide)

What are Blackboard Assignments?

The features of the Blackboard Learn Assignment tool allow groups of students to work on and submit assignments together, as well as individually. This provides instructors with the ability to assign a single grade to all of the students in the group without losing the ability to override an individual's grade if necessary. This tool facilitates an interactive learning process by providing faculty with the ability to permit multiple attempts of the same assignment. This allows students to edit, add to, and improve their original effort and allows instructors to provide a grade and feedback for each submission.

1. Instructors can deploy Assignments to all students individually or to groups of students. If an Instructor selects to deploy Assignments to groups of students, the Instructor will be able to choose which groups receive the Assignment. One group member will submit the assignment for the whole group. The instructor provides one grade to the submission and all members of the group receive the same grade automatically. Instructors can provide individual members with a separate grade if necessary.

2. Instructors can allow students to submit multiple attempts for the same assignment. Each of these attempts can be graded and commented on individually. Both students and instructors can track progress throughout the assignment. Instructors can specify how many attempts are allowed or allow an unlimited number of attempts. If the specific number of attempts were completed by a student, the instructor can allow an additional attempt if required.

3. Students can attach a file and include additional information and hyperlinks in their assignment attempt using a Submission field instead of simply attaching a file.

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Where does this feature appear?
Assignments can be added to any content page within courses and organizations.

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How do I create an Assignment?

Follow the steps below to add an Assignment to a Content Area:

1. Open a Content Area, such as Assignments.
2. Edit Mode is ON.
3. Click Create Assessment .
4. Select Assignment.
5. Complete the Assignment Information, Assignment Files, Grading, Availability, Due Dates,
   and Recipients information.
6. Click Submit.

Once a student completes and submits an Assignment, the Instructor may access this file in the Grade Center.

Guidelines

• When creating an assignment, use a short and meaningful name, since this will also appear in the gradebook.
• Avoid changing the name of the assignment after creating it, since this will not be reflected in the gradebook.
• Be careful when deleting an assignment: all attachments and feedback will also be deleted from the system
• When you do delete an assignment, go to the Grade Center and, unless you need to keep the scores, also delete the  Grade Center column, to avoid cluttering up the gradebook.
• Never copy a folder with an assignment in it: this will cause the assignment to become corrupt and unusable! (Error message: 'Problem loading assignment’).
• As a precaution, ask students to only use numbers, letter of the alf abet and underscores in their filenames and to keep the filenames short. You may have trouble with attachments that make use of very long filenames, spaces and/or diacritical characters like '%' and 'é'.
• Explain to your students the difference between the Save as Draft and Submit button. Save as Draft only stores the file for the student to see; Submit sends to file to the instructor.

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How do I retrieve submitted assignments?

When an assignment is created, a column is added automatically to the Grade Center. An assignment that has been submitted, but not graded, is indicated with an exclamation mark—the needs grading icon.

Assignments that need grading can be accessed from the Needs Grading page or from the Grade Center. Instructors have the option to grade assignments anonymously.

Assignments can be retrieved either individually (good for adding comments through the Blackboard interface), or downloaded as a zip file.

To download an individual student's submission:

1. Go to the Grade Center in the Control Panel and locate the column for the Assignment. The column is created automatically when the Assignment is created.
2. Students who have submitted their assignment will have a green exclamation point in corresponding the cell. Click the chevon beside the exclamation point and select View Grade Details.
3. On the subsequent page, click the Open Attempt button (far right). The new page that opens will have a link to the file in section 3, REVIEW CURRENT ATTEMPT

To download all the submissions:

1. Go to the Grade Center in the Control Panel and locate the column for the Assignment. The column is created automatically when the Assignment is created. 
2. Click the chevron next to the column heading and select Assignment File Download from the contextual menu.
3. On the subsequent page, tick the box in the column heading row, which will cause the boxes for all submissions to become checked.  (If there are more students in the course than are displayed on the page, click Show All at the bottom of the page, then tick the box in the column heading row.) If a student has no box by her name, she has not submitted the assignment. 
4. Click Submit.  The page that opens will have a link to the zip file.

To Access Submitted Assignments from the Needs Grading Page

For Courses with many enrolled Students and gradable items, the Needs Grading page can help you determine which assignments need grading first. For example, you can sort by the date submitted to provide feedback to the earliest submitters first.

To access the Needs Grading page:

1. In the Control Panel, expand the Grade Center section.
2. Select Needs Grading. The total number of items to grade appears on the Needs Grading page.

To filter and sort attempts:

1. Use the Filter drop-down lists to narrow the list of items to grade by Category, Item, User, and Date Submitted. For example, in the Category drop-down list, select Assignment.
2. Click Go, The filtered items appear on the Needs Grading page.
3. Click any column heading or the caret to sort the assignments. For example, sort the assignments by Item Name.
4. Click Grade All on the Action Bar to begin grading the assignment attempts.
5. The filtered assignment attempts appear on the Grade Assignment page in the order they were sorted and filtered on the Needs Grading page.

To Access Submitted Assignments from the Grade Center

The Grade Center shows all gradable items and is not limited to tests and assignments like the Needs Grading page. Other items to grade appear with exclamation marks, such as graded Journal entries or Discussion Board posts. The number of items may influence how you organize your time for grading tasks. You may also find it beneficial to view a Student's previous grades as items are graded.

To access the Grade Center:

1. In the Control Panel, expand the Grade Center section.
2. Select Full Grade Center or the Assignments Smart View (if one has been created and made a favorite) to access assignment attempts.

To grade a single assignment attempt:

1. Locate the cell for a Student's assignment containing an exclamation mark.
2. Move the mouse pointer over the cell to see the Action Link.
3. Click the Action Link to access the contextual menu.
4. Select Attempt. The Grade Assignment page appears.

To grade all submissions for an assignment:

1. In the assignment's column header, click the Action Link to access the contextual menu.
2. Select Grade Attempts. The Grade Assignment page appears.

When an assignment is created, a column is added automatically to the Grade Center. An assignment that has been submitted, but not graded, is indicated with an exclamation mark—the needs grading icon.

Assignments that need grading can be accessed from the Needs Grading page or from the Grade Center. Instructors have the option to grade assignments anonymously.

About the Grade Assignment Page

The Grade Assignment page is accessed from the Needs Grading page or the Grade Center. Instructors can navigate among users and attempts, view rubrics, grade anonymously, and view information about an assignment.

On the Action Bar, the following actions can be performed:

• Click Hide User Names to grade attempts anonymously, if needed. Click Show User Names to display user information.
• Click Jump to and select another attempt to view or grade.

Expand the Assignment Information link to view the following information:

• Instructions
• Due Date
• Submitted Date
• Status: Needs Grading, In Progress, Completed

Note:  If an assignment is In Progress, the Instructor must submit the assignment so it can be graded.

To Grade Assignments from the Grade Assignment Page

The Grade Assignment page is accessed from the Needs Grading page or the Grade Center.

1. On the Grade Assignment page, view the submission text, attached files, and comments.
2. Type a Grade for the assignment.
3. Optionally, type comments in Feedback to User box and attach a file. Use the Text Editor functions to format the text and add files, images, links, multimedia, and Mashups.
4. Optionally, type comments in the Instructor Notes box. This text is not seen by Students.
5. Click Save and Exit to return to the Full Grade Center, the Needs Grading page, or the Grade Details page, depending on where grading began.

   -OR-

   Click Save and Next to display the next user, when available.

   -OR-

   Click View Previous to display the previous user, when available.

If multiple attempts for an assignment have been allowed, a Student's grade is not released until all of the attempts have been graded.

How do I grade an Assignment anonymously?

Complete Grading Assignment Instructions

You may choose to grade assignments anonymously to ensure impartial evaluation of Student work. For example, an opinion-based assignment that is graded anonymously may offer Students a higher level of comfort when expressing themselves.

In anonymous grading, all identifying information is hidden and attempts appear in random order. Each Student is assigned a number, such as Student 8.

To grade anonymously from the Needs Grading page:

1. Click an assignment attempt’s Action Link to access the contextual menu.
2. Select Grade Anonymously. The Grade Assignment page appears.

To grade anonymously from the Grade Center:

1. Click an assignment's Action Link in the column header to access the contextual menu.
2. Select Grade Anonymously. The Grade Assignment page appears.

To grade anonymously from the Grade Assignment page:

1. On the Action Bar, click Hide User Names.
2. Click OK in the pop-up window to verify the action. If grading was in progress, any unsaved changes to the open attempt are lost. The Grade Assignment page refreshes and all identifying information is hidden.

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Grade Center Column Statistics Do Not Include Override Grades

This issue is particularly problematic with Assignments, because if you enter the grade in the cell where an exclamation point (!) exist to indicate the Assignment has been submitted, the grade is considered an override. To avoid this issue, place your cursor in the cell of the first grade you wish to enter, click the chevron that will appear and select View Grade Details. On the subsequent page, under Attempts, click the Edit Grade button, then enter the grade and click Save. Now, to get to the next student you want to enter a grade for, use the Jump to User feature at the top of the page.

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Content Areas

Complete Instructions for managing your Course Menu

My course menu does not accurately reflect the way I want to organize my course content. What options do I have?

Course Content Areas are used to organize all Course content materials. A link to each Content Area creates the first level of the Course Menu tree directory. Course developers create and manage Content Areas from the Course Menu.

While the Instructor has almost complete control over the Content Areas through the Course Menu, the Administrator is able to set defaults and overrides that define the names and default availability of Course areas in each Course.

While the Instructor has almost complete control over the Content Areas through the Course Menu, Princeton creates three content ares by default when the course sites are built initially each semester: Syllabus, Course Materials, and Assignments.  By default, the Syllabus area is designated as a public area (open to guests), while Course Materials and Assignments are private areas (course members only). These areas can be removed, the names can be changed (as well as the settings), and and additional areas can be added.

Adding a Content Area

Princeton creates three content ares by default when the course sites are built initially each semester: Syllabus, Course Materials, and Assignments.  The Syllabus area is designated as a public area (open to guests), while Course Materials and Assignments are private areas (course members only). Instructors may decide to create additional Content Areas or edit existing Content Areas.

Follow the steps below to add a Content Area to the Course Menu:

1. Edit Mode is ON.
2. Select the Add button (+) at the top of the Course Menu.
3. Click Content Area.
4. Enter a Name for the Content Area.
5. Click the Available to Users checkbox to grant access to students and other users in the Course.
6. Click Submit.

The new Content Area appears on the Course Menu. If the Content Area contains no content, an icon of a dotted square appears. If the Content Area is unavailable to students, an icon of a square with a line through it appears.

Manage Content Areas

Once Content Areas for the Course have been created, content creation may begin. All content can be added and edited within the Content Areas. Select a Content Area on the Course Menu to open the main Content Area page. All actions related to managing content are available from this page. This includes:

• Create Item - add any single Content Item
• Build - add organizational elements such as folders, tools and links
• Evaluate - add tests, surveys and assignments
• Collaborate - add group and communication tools such as blogs, discussion boards and chat sessions
• More - add other types of content, such as Almagest lectures, RSS feeds, and WebSpace links.

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Copy, Move, or Save Content

Start by identifying what you want to accomplish:

Do you want to copy all or most of your course content for a past semester to the course site for this semester? Yes, this.

or

Do you want to copy or move individual content items from one folder or Course to another folder or Course? Yes, this.

or

Do you want to save your course content (or maybe the entire course site) outside Blackboard? Yes, this.

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Digital Media

How to get media files into course sites:

• Links to Electronic Reserves (audio, text, films)
• Kaltura Media Management (video, audio, images)
  
• Almagest Lectures
• Embedded in course pages

How can I link to Almagest Projects, audio files, videos, and/or digital readings, so that my students can access the materials from my Blackboard course site?

Digital readings, video and audio : If your course is participating in the Library's Online Reserve Request Service (ORRS) , we will automatically place links to your electronic reserves in your course site. Because of copyright restrictions, access to E-Reserves must be limited to students enrolled in the course, therefore we will make this part of the course web site unavailable to guests. If you are placing other copyright-protected materials in your course site, we urge you to place them in an area that is not available to guests.

NOTE: E-Reserves cannot be copied from one Blackboard course to another. Please contact the Reserves Department (reserve@princeton.edu) to make course reserve requests.

Almagest Projects: ETC's Almagest database is a media manager for storing and organizing a wide variety of digital media, such as images, video segments, animations, sound, and text files. Material is entered, edited, and displayed online using a web browser. It can be used to deliver slide and media presentations in any classroom equipped with an internet connection and a digital projector. Almagest materials are also available for study and review by students. Contact 609.258.6903 (almagest@princeton.edu ) for more information on setting up an Almagest project. To integrate your Almagest project with your Blackboard site, see instructions below.

Digital Media added through the above means to Blackboard are just links to specific servers and are not actually stored on the Blackboard servers. If you have problems, you should contact:

Audio Reserves: Mendel Music Library 609.258.8982 (dpg@princeton.edu)

E-Reserves: Electronic Course Reserve Service 609.258.3224 (ereserve@princeton.edu)

Images and Slides: Almagest 609.258.6903 (almagest@princeton.edu)

Videos: Humanities Resource Center 609.258.2114 (lrcweb@princeton.edu)

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How can I link to Almagest Projects to my Blackboard course site?

From your course site, with Edit Mode on, select any content area (such as "Course Materials"). Click the inverted chevron on the More button, and select Add Almagest Lecture. (If you want files to be accessible from a particular folder within that content area, first click on the name of that folder.)

The Add Almagest Lecture page that is called up will show you the lectures associated with your course. Either click on a specific lecture from the dropdown box, or turn on the radio button next to All Lectures if you prefer to place just one link for Almagest in your course site.

Type description and/or instructions for the students in the text box, select visibility dates, and Submit.

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Embed Audio Files, Images, and Web-based Media

How do I add audio files directly to my Blackboard site?

Your audio file to play on the page. If Autostart and Loop are both set to Yes, the audio file will begin playing when users open the page and will continue to play until they stop it or navigate away from the page. Include a transcript for those that cannot hear the audio file.

Audio files come in a variety of formats and will spawn a compatible player based on the user's computer system. These files have the following extensions: .aiff, .asf, .moov, .mov, .mp, .wav, .wma, .wmv

1. Open a Content Area by click on it in the course menu.
2. Edit Mode is ON
3. Click Build Content, then select Audio from the Create column. (If you want to add the image to an existing folder, first click on the folder name to open it.)
4. Click Browse My Computer next to Find File. Select the file. (If you have preloaded your files to the Course Files area, select Browse Course.)
5. Type a Name for the file. This is used as the link name for the file and is shown to users. Ensure the title conveys the meaning of the content as no description or instructions can be added to the File content type.
6. Choose a Color of Name (optional).
7. For the Include Transcript option, Browse to select a file containing a transcript for people who cannot hear the audio, if one is available.
8. Select AutoStart to begin playing the file as soon as the link is clicked or allow the user to start the file using the controls.
9. Select to Loop the file so it keeps playing over and over or play the file once. The Controls can appear full-size or the controls can appear smaller, like a thumbnail, by selecting Mini.
10. Click Yes or No to Permit Users to View the Content Item.Click Yes or No to Track Number of Views. Select the Date and Time Restrictions
11. Click Preview to test your file, then Submit.

How do I add image files directly to my Blackboard site?

There are two main methods if you want to add just a few images or media files. For multiple images, use either Almagest or PowerPoint slides.

 The two options for adding image files directly to your content page:

a) Simple Uploading of the Image File

1. Open a Content Area by clicking on it in the course menu.
2. Edit Mode is ON
3. Click Build Content, then select Image from the Create column. (If you want to add the image to an existing folder, first click on the folder name to open it.)
4. Click Browse My Computer next to Find File. Select the file. (If you have preloaded your files to the Course Files area, select Browse Course.)
5. Type a Name for the file. This is used as the link name for the file and is shown to users. Ensure the title conveys the meaning of the content as no description or instructions can be added to the File content type.
6. Choose a Color of Name (optional).
7. Enter Alt Text. This is what people using screen readers will hear as a description of the image.
8. Enter a Long Description, if desired.
9. For Dimensions, if you select Custom, enter a height and width in pixels. If changing the size of the image, check the file properties for the original size, and then use a size to display the image that maintains the height-to-width ratio of the original size.
10. The image Border will be black and can be from 1 pixel to 4 pixels wide. Use the Preview button at the bottom of the page to view result.
11. Adding an Image Target URL will take the user to a Web site when the image is clicked.
12. Using the original image size and selecting Open Target in New Window will solve most problems with images not displaying correctly.
13. Click Yes or No to Permit Users to View the Content Item.Click Yes or No to Track Number of Views. Select the Date and Time Restrictions.
14. Click Preview to test the results, then Submit.

b) Embedding Image in a Text Box

1. Open a Content Area by clicking on it in the course menu.
2. Edit Mode is ON
3. Click Build Content, then select Item from the Create column. (If you want to add the image to an existing folder, first click on the folder name to open it.)(If you want to add the image to an existing folder, first click on the folder name to open it.)
4. At the top right corner of the text box, make sure Visual Editor is ON, then click the Attach Image icon.
5. In the new window that will open, browser for your image or specify a source URL, select your image options (the Alt Text  box allows you to enter a description for the visually impaired and others using screen readers; Adding an Image Target URL will take the user to a Web site when the image is clicked.), click Submit.
6. Enter any text you wish in the text box.
7. Click Yes or No to Permit Users to View the Content Item.Click Yes or No to Track Number of Views. Select the Date and Time Restrictions
8. Click Submit.

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Kaltura Media

What is Kaultura Media?

Media Central, as OIT’s new web-based Kaltura Media Management System is known, provides a central repository for storing, managing, and delivering video and audio content. It stores all your media in one location, allowing you to manage content quickly and efficiently. Media Central also allows you to customize metadata to organize, tag, and search files, and convert media into various file formats for use on multiple platforms including websites, iPads, YouTube, Facebook and Blackboard.

What can I do with Kaltura Media in Blackboard?

With the Kaltura Media Blackboard integration tools, which work with OIT’s new web-based Kaltura Media Management System, Media Central, instructors can easily add video content to course pages, maintain a personal content repository, and interact with their students using media. Instructors can also use the faculty repository to share their media campus-wide, as well as search and use media posted by other faculty members. Students can also create a personal media gallery, use educational video resources, and submit videos in their assignments. Using the clipping tool, users can create video clips from existing video content, if permitted by the content owner. Videos can be an integral part of assignments, forum posts, announcements, tests, exams, and more.

How do I add Kaltura Media to Blackboard?

Instructors can add Media as an Interactive Tool directly to a content area, such as Course Materials.

Instructors and students can add Media via the Mashup Tool to any resource they have access to that uses the text editor, such as Announcements, Assignments (creating and submitting), Tests (creating and taking) Content Items, Discussion Boards (creating and posting), Blogs, Journals, Glossary, and Tasks.

Instructors and students (with instructor approval) can add media to Kaltura Course Media (AKA Course Gallery).

Instructors and students can add media to My Kaltura Media, from their computer or courses they are enrolled in, which can then be  shared to courses.

Instructors can share media with other instructors, and add shared media to their courses through the Faculty Repository. (Coming Soon)

Instructors and students can create a clips from videos (depends on the following factors: Building Block configuration, video ownership, enrollment to courses and the video owner allowing it), using  the “Create Clip” button, which opens the Clipping Tool. (Coming Soon)

My Media, Course Gallery and Faculty Repository have a similar Search interface that is comprised of a combination of filtering, searching and sorting. In addition, frequent search queries can be saved for future use.

Download Complete Kaltura Media in Blackboard User Instructions.

How can students share videos in the course?

Students can share videos via the Mashup Tool  (either by uploading to through Kaltura or imbedding YouTube content) to any Blackboard resource they have access to that uses the text editor.    Videos posted to the Discussion Boards and  Blogs this way are shared with other students participating in said Discussion Boards and  Blogs.  Videos posted to Assignments, essay questions in Tests, and Journals are only viewable to instructors. 

Student can also share videos with the entire course site by adding them to Kaltura Course Media  (AKA Course Gallery). Such videos remain in invisible until the instructor goes into Kaltura Course Media and approves them.

How is the instructor notified there are student videos pending approval in Kaltura Course Media?

Unfortunately, Kaltura has not built notification functionality into the tool yet, so the instructor either needs to check Kaltura Course Media if videos are expected as part of an assignment, or depend on the students to send email advising a video has been uploaded.

What mobile devices can I view Kaltura videos on?

You can view Kaltura videos on any devices that support Flash or HTML5 video, such as iPads, iPhones, Android phones and tablets, and Windows Phones.

Why do I get a black (or white) screen when I try to upload or view a video via Kaltura?

The Kaltura upload process is Adobe Flash based, and some combinations of operating system-browser-Flash version are not compatible.  If this problem occurs, you can try a different browser and/or update your Adobe Flash at http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer. 

If you are using Google Chrome, you can use do this:  Select the shield icon located at the end of the URL bar,

then select Load Unsafe Script.

Unfortunately, Google Chrome does not have a way of enabling this setting permanently. The shield icon must be selected every time a video does not load, or you are prevented from uploading to Kaltura.

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Learning Modules

Complete Learning Modules Instructions

Learning Modules are used to package and present content and allow instructors to organize related course materials in a Table of Contents. All types of content, such as items, Assignments, and Tests can be included in a Learning Module.

Learning Modules are edited like any other item in a Content Area. Content within a Learning Module is added and managed just like content in a folder or Content Area. The Learning Module is a shell to which other types of content, such as files, are added. 

Instructors can add folders and subfolders to a Learning Module to impose a hierarchical structure over the content. This hierarchy is an outline view that appears in the Table of Contents. 

Depending on how an instructor sets up a Learning Module, students can view content in one of two ways:

• Sequentially: material is viewed in a specific order.
• Non-sequentially: material is viewed in any order.

If sequential viewing is enforced, Students view the Learning Module in the order listed. Students cannot advance to a page within the unit without having viewed the previous page. If sequential viewing is not enforced, items in the Learning Module can be viewed in any order. Sequential viewing is set in the options for the Learning Module and can be changed at any time.

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Lesson Plans

Complete Lesson Plan Instructions

A Lesson Plan is a container for content similar to a Learning Module or folder that can hold and organize content items. Instructors can create Lesson Plans within their Courses to hold lesson profiles, instructional objectives, and the content items Students will need to complete a lesson. Default Lesson Plan sections include the Instructional Level, Instructor, Objectives, and Subject Area of the lesson. Additional sections can be added to the Lesson Plan and arranged to appear in any order.

Adding Lesson Plans to a Course can benefit Students in several ways. Instructors have the option of adding information for Students to view alongside of the content to help them understand the objectives and intended result of their learning. Students can be provided with information on how their knowledge will be measured, the needed materials, the duration of the instruction, and what they should have learned after the instruction. The more information Students have at the start of the lesson, the more prepared they will be for the content ahead.

Lessons Plans can be made available to Students or can be used solely as a planning tool for Instructors.

Any type of content item can be added to the Curriculum Resources tab.

Add content to the Lesson Plan using the functions on the Action Bar: Build Content, Create Assessment, or Add Interactive Tool and fill in the necessary information and options.

The Curriculum Resources appear under the Content Information section when the Lesson Plan is accessed in a Course area, such as a Content Area.

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Mashups 

Mashups allow Instructors to add content to a Course that is from an external Web site. This content is used in a variety of ways within a Course: a standalone piece of Course Content, part of a test question, a topic on a Discussion Board, or as part of an assignment. The content displayed in a course will still reside on the external Web site.

Mashups are added as a Content Item in a folder or added through the Text Editor. Adding a Mashup as a Content Item makes it a part of the information that you present to users for them to view. Adding a Mashup using the Text Editor means that you can put Mashups in places where users can interact with the content, such as in Test Questions, Discussion Boards, and Blogs.

Mashups are displayed in the following ways:

• Embed: The Mashup displays directly on the page when a student opens the item.
• Thumbnail View with Player: A small picture of the Mashup displays on the page with controls to launch it.
• Text Link with Player: A link to the Mashup is displayed on the page. Students click the link to launch the Mashup.

Example

To encourage discussion about "Hamlet", the Instructor can create a Mashup that includes a video of a scene from a production of the play and a link to a newspaper review of that production.

Default Mashup Types

These are the default Mashups that are included with Blackboard Learn. Other sources are added as Building Blocks. Blackboard Learn supports adding content from the following sources:

• Flickr: a site for viewing and sharing photographic images.
• Slideshare: a site for viewing and sharing PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, or Adobe PDF Portfolios.
• YouTube: a site for viewing and sharing online videos.
• Wimba Voice Authoring: Allows instructors an students to add their voice -- literally.
• Paste from Word: add a Word document so it displays in the Bb page, without losing formatting.
• Kaltura Media: repurpose Kaltura Media in other Tools and Content Areas. (Click for Instructions)

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How do I create a Mashup?

There are two ways to create Mashups.

• If it is Flickr Photo, Slideshare Presentation, YouTube Video, you can create it as an item in a content area.
• You can create it using the Text Editor, which  means that you can put Mashups in places where users can interact with the content, such as in Test Questions, Assignments, Discussion Boards, and Blogs.

Creating a Mashup Item within a content area (Course Materials, for example):

1. Navigate to the Course area where a Mashup will be added, such as a Content Area, Learning Module, Lesson Plan, or folder.
2. Select Flickr Photo, Slideshare Presentation, or YouTube Video, from the Build Content drop down list.
3. Search for content.
4. Click Preview to examine the items.
5. Click Select for the appropriate item.
6. Change the Name of the item. This is a required field.
7. Type a Description of the Mashup.
8. Set the Mashup Options.
9. Attach additional content items to the Mashup using one of the following options:
   • To upload a file from a local drive, click Browse My Computer.
   • To upload a file from the Course's storage repository click Browse Course.
10. Click Yes or No for Permit Users to View this Content.
11. Click Yes or No for Track Number of Views.
12. Select the Display After and Display Until check boxes in order to enable the date and time selections. Use the pop-up Date Selection Calendar and Time Selection Menu to select dates and times.
13. Click Preview to examine the Mashup.
14. Click Submit.

Result

When finished, the Mashup appears in thearea where it was created. If necessary, use the Mashup's contextual menu to set Adaptive Release rules, add metadata, or track the number of views.

If the Mashup does not appear or displays an error after initially appearing, it is possible that the URL has changed or the item was deleted from Flickr, Slideshare, or YouTube.

Creating a Mashup Item using the Text Editor:

Creating a Mashup using the Text Editor means that you can put Mashups in places where users can interact with the content, such as in Test Questions, Discussion Boards, and Blogs.

1. Navigate to the Course Files area of your Course.
2. Select a Content Item such as Discussion Topic from the Build drop down list.
3. Type a Name for the Content Item.
4. Click Add Mashup on the bottom row of Text Editor buttons.
5. Select Flickr Photo, Slideshare Presentation, YouTube Video or Kaltura Media.
6. Search for content.
7. Click Preview to examine the items.
8. Click Select for the appropriate item.
9. Change the Name of the item. This is a required field.
10. Type a Description of the Mashup.
11. Set the Mashup Options.
12. Click Submit.
13. Select from the following Options: Lock File, Share Comments, Enable Versioning, and Enable Tracking.
14. Click Submit.

Result

When finished, the Mashup appears in the folder or Content Area where it was created. If necessary, use the action link for the Mashup item to set Adaptive Release rules, add metadata, or track the number of views.

If the Mashup does not appear or displays an error after initially appearing, it is possible that the URL has changed or the item was deleted from Flickr, Slideshare, or YouTube.

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MathJax

How can I incorporate MathJax into my Blackboard site?

A video demonstrating the process can be found at:

http://www.mathjax.org/demos/use-in-web-platforms/#Blackboard

Summarizing the main steps:

• Create a content element of choice, such as a learning module or an assignment, within the Blackboard environment. We have tested that MathJax works with individual items, learning modules, assignment, lesson plans, syllabi (including lessons), tests and blogs.
• Disable the default Blackboard visual text editor by flicking the switch in the upper-right corner to “off”, and select “HTML” input mode (rather than “Smart Text” or “Plain Text”) from the list of input options right underneath the editor’s input text field.
• Copy the MathJax code snippet pointing to the MathJax CDN from “Getting Started with MathJax” in the MathJax documentation, and paste it into the Blackboard editor.
• Include your mathematics in standard LaTeX notation, using the \( … \) delimiters for inline expressions and \[ … \] for paragraph equations. (These delimiters can be customized).
• Give a name to your content element, and click Submit.
• Switch off Edit Mode.

You should now see MathJax come into action and render your LaTeX expressions as beautifully typeset mathematics.

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Review Status

How can I tell which students have viewed which materials in my Blackboard site?

The Review Status function allows the Instructor to track user review of specific content items. Once the Instructor enables the tool for an item,  instructors and students can individually track progress through a Content Area. A Mark Reviewed button appears on the item when the user opens the Content Area. After reviewing the item, the student selects this button to mark it Reviewed. The Instructor may check the status of student reviews on the User Progress page.

Enable Review Status for an item
When Review Status is enabled for an item a Mark Reviewed button appears next to the item when the Content Area is opened by the user. The user must select this button to mark the item Reviewed.

Follow the steps below to enable Review Status for an item in a course:

1. Open a Content Area.
2. Edit Mode is ON.
3. Click the Contextual Menu for the content item.
4. Click Set Review Status.
5. Click Enable.
6. Click Submit.

Follow the steps below to disable Review Status for an Item in a course:

1. Open a Content Area.
2. Edit Mode is ON.
3. Click the Contextual Menu for the content item.
4. Click Set Review Status.
5. Click Disable.
6. Click Submit.

View the status of user reviews
Once Review Status is enabled for an item, the Instructor may check the status of Student reviews from the User Progress page or the Performance Dashboard. These pages both indicate whether or not a Student has marked an item as ' Reviewed ' . The User Progress page allows the Instructor to see the Review Status of the item for all users in the course.

Follow the steps below to open the User Progress page:

1. Open a Content Area.
2. Edit Mode is ON.
3. Click the contextual menu for the content item.
4. Click User Progress.

The Performance Dashboard allows the Instructor to see the Review Status of all currently available items for a single user in the course.

Follow the steps below to view the status of the item on the Performance Dashboard:

1. Select Performance Dashboard under Evaluation on the Control Panel. The Performance Dashboard appears.
2. Select the number under the Review Status column next to the user in question. The
   Review Status page for this user appears. The Instructor may check the Review Status for
   each item that has Review Status Enabled, either through an Adaptive Release Rule or the
   Review Status option. OR Click the Adaptive Release icon to open the Map. The Map
   displays the Review Status for all items in the Course for that user.

(NOTE: If the user changes the status of an individual item from Reviewed to Mark Reviewed , all record of the previous status is erased. The Instructor will not be alerted to the change other than by seeing the new status in the User Progress page or in the Performance Dashboard.)

Review Status during course copy, archive and export
Review Status settings and status information are not saved during a copy of course materials into a new course or during a copy of course materials into an existing course. The same is true for export and import operations.

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Surveys and Tests

The three essential parts of using Blackboard Tests and surveys are:

Creating a Test or Survey

Deploying a Test or Survey

Retrieving Test or Survey Results

Timed Exams

What are Blackboard Tests and Surveys?

Instructors use Tests and Surveys to assess knowledge, measure progress, and gather information from Students.

Tests are created to check the knowledge and skill level of users enrolled in the Course. The Instructor can assign point values to each question on exams or quizzes. When a Student completes a Test it is automatically graded and the results are recorded in the Grade Center. Questions that require manual grading are marked in the Grade Center and can be graded later.

Surveys are useful for polling, evaluations, and random checks of knowledge. They function in the same way as Tests and offer most of the same options. Survey questions are not assigned a point value and are not graded.

Keep in mind, the distinction between Surveys and Tests is that Surveys are anonymous.  A common mistake is creating Surveys to find out who is available when for something, who is interested in participating in something. One should either use the Discussion Board or create a Test for such things.

Before you begin, create a Survey or Test by going to the Tools area of the Control Panel. and clicking  Tests, Surveys, and Pools.

How do I deploying a Test or Survey?

PART I: Add a Test or Survey to a Content Area

1. Open a Content Area.
2. Edit Mode is ON.
3. Click Create Assessment.
4. Select Test or Survey.
5. Select the test or survey from the Add Test or Add Survey box.
6. Click Submit.

PART II: Make the Test or Survey Available

1. On the Options Page that appears after you click Submit (step 6, above), click Yes next  to Make the Link Available. If this option is set to No, it will not appear to Students. Instructors may make the link available, then use the Display After and Display Until fields to limit the amount of time the link appears.
2. If desired, Click Yes to Add a New Announcement for this Test (or Survey). The Announcement will include the date and state "an Assessment has been made available in [Course area that includes the link to the Assessment]". This Announcement will appear in the Course Announcements.
3. Click the Multiple Attempts check box to allow multiple attempts.
4. Select Allow Unlimited Attempts for Students to take the assessment as many times as they wish OR select Number of Attempts and enter a number to indicate a specific number of attempts that is allowed.
5. Click the Force Completion check box to force users to complete the Test or Survey once it has been launched.Students may not exit the assessment and continue working on it at a later date. The Save button is available for Students to save the assessment as they work through it, but they may not exit and re-enter the Assessment.
6. Click the Set Timer check box to set a time limit for completing the Test or Survey and select the Hours and Minutes for the time limit from the drop-down lists.
7. Use the Display After and Display Until date and time fields to define the availability of the Test or Survey. Click both the Display After and Display Until check boxes in order to enable the date and time selections.

PART III: Control the Presentation of a Test or Survey

The remaining options control the presentation and feedback for an assessment.

1. Click the Include this Test in Grade Center Score Calculations check box.  If the test is not included, the score will not affect any Grade Center calculations. This Test is also excluded from weighting.
2. Click Hide Results for this Test Completely from Instructor and the Grade Center. If selected, this Test behaves as a Survey. The display in the Grade Center will read Complete / Incomplete and N/A or zero appears on the Grade Details page. The Instructor will not be able to see any student grades, view answers, aggregate results, or download result details. To protect student privacy, this choice cannot be reversed later without deleting all attempts.
3. Determine the kind of Feedback that is displayed upon completion:
   • Score - presents the final score to Students.
     
   • Submitted Answers - presents the Student’s answers.
   • Correct Answers - presents the correct answers to the questions.
   • Feedback - presents the question feedback to the Student.
4. Select a Presentation Mode:

   All at Once - Present the entire assessment on one screen. Students scroll through all the questions and can move up and down from question to question. If this is selected, Prohibit Backtracking cannot be selected.

   OR

   One at a Time - Displays one question at a time. The screen includes navigation tools to move between questions. The Submit button will only appear on the last page of the assessment. Prohibit Backtracking and Randomize Questions may be selected.

5. Click the Prohibit Backtracking check box to prevents Users from going back to questions they have already answered. If backtracking is prohibited, questions will be presented one at a time and the buttons <<, <, or >> do not appear to Users during the Test or Survey.
6. Click the Randomize Questions check box to display questions in a random order each time the Test or Survey is taken.
7. Click Submit.

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How do I retrieve Test or Survey results?

1. On the Control Panel, expand the Grade Center section.
2. Select Full Grade Center.
3. On the Grade Center: Full Grade Center page, navigate to the Test or Survey’s column.
4. Click the Test or Survey column's Action LinkThe Action Link is represented by two downward pointing arrows. Click it to access the contextual menu containing options for many components in Blackboard Learn, such as content items, Course Menu links, or Grade Center columns. The options in the contextual menu vary depending on the component. to access the contextual menu.
5. Select Attempts Statistics. The results display on the Statistics page.

Note: Because Surveys are anonymous, the results are delivered only as statistics, and it is not possible to view individual answers. If an open-ended essay question was included in the Survey, all responses will be listed.

 

How can I give a timed test through Blackboard?

There are two ways to administer timed tests through Blackboard.  One is native to the product and requires creating a Blackboard test; the other, a work-around, is especially useful for take-home essay exams.

If you do not wish to create the test in Blackboard through the Assessment feature, preferring to have students download a Word document and then upload their responses, follow the instructions below.  We recommend you print out the instructions from this PDF, as it is important to not miss a step along the way.

Part I: Setting up the exam

1. Put your exam questions and instructions in a word processing file, such as MS Word, and save.
2. Open a Content Area.
3. Edit Mode is ON.
4. Click Build Content.
5. Select Content Folder.
6. Give the folder a Name, such as Final Exam. Set the Date and Time Restrictions so that the students cannot see the folder until the prescribed moment, and cannot access it after your exam period ends.
7. Click Submit.
8. Now click on the name of the folder you just created.
9. Click Build Content > Item and name the item Exam Instructions, or something along those lines.
10. In the text box, type the instructions. Here is a sample instruction text: Upon clicking the Mark Reviewed button to the right, the three-hour time limit will begin and you will be shown the link View/Complete Assignment. Click it, then, on the page that opens, click the file link called [instructor should insert the name of the final exam file here]. This will open the Word document that contains you exam questions. If you wish, you can then close Blackboard until you have finished the exam.
    When you have completed answering your questions, save your document as FinalExamCourseID_LastnameFirstinitial (e.g., FinalExamENG101_SmithJ), then return to the page in Blackboard from which you downloaded your exam questions. Type a comment in the comment box (you cannot submit the file without a comment), then browse to your saved exam where it says Attach Local File, then click submit.
11. Click Submit.
12. Click the Create Assessment button.
13. Select Assignment.
14. Name the assignment, something like Final Exam. If your exam document has instructions, you do not need to fill in the instruction box, though you may want to remind them here that the clock is ticking.
15. Click the Browse My Computer under Assignment Files, find your exam and double-click on it.
16. Complete the Assignment Information, Possible Points, Assignment Files, Grading, Availability, Due Dates,
    and Recipients information.
17. Click Submit.
18. This will bring you to a screen that shows you the edit view of the folder contents. To the right of the assignment name, click the down arrow and select Adaptive Release.
19. Scroll down to part 4, Review Status, and click Browse. Find and click on the exam instruction item you created in step 9 above (you may have to click the “+” icon next to the folder for the exam to reveal the instruction item).
20. Click Submit. A small box will pop up that says, Making this selection will enable review for the item selected. Click OK.

You have now created a folder in your Blackboard course site, with two items:

• Instructions that students have to indicate they have reviewed in order to access the exam document. In so indicating, they are creating a date/time stamp for you.
• An Assignment with its own column in the gradebook. From this assignment area,
  they will download your exam file, and into this assignment area, they will upload their completed exam file.

Part II: Accessing the time stamps and exam file

1. Open the Content Area where you set up the take-home exam.
2. Edit Mode is ON.
3. Click the name of the folder that contains the exam.
4. To the right of the name you gave to the exam instructions item (step 9, part I above), click the down arrow and select User Progress.
5. With your mouse, highlight the area with the table of names and information (see illustration below), then on your press keyboard Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Apple. Open a blank Word document and paste (Ctrl+v or Ctrl+Apple) the table you have copied. This will give you a chart with the starting times for you to compare to the submission time. Name and save it to your desktop for easy access.
6. Now open the Grade Center.
7. Click double down chevron in the column heading for the exam and select Assignment File Download. The page that opens will show you the submission times for the exams, which you can compare to start time, found in the document you saved in the previous step.
   5. To download the exams, click the topmost check box, top left to "Check All."
8. Click Submit.
9. The page that comes up will read The assignments have been packaged. Download assignments now. (xxx KB). Click this link and the exams will all be saved to your hard drive in a zip file. Unzip them to a regular desktop folder.

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The native method is to create the test through the assessment feature by going to the Tools area of the Control Panel. and clicking  Tests, Surveys, and Pools, then use the timer option when you deploy the test.

If the assessment is timed, the students will see a message when they begin the quiz:

This survey has a ( ) hour ( ) minute time limit.The elapsed time appears at the top right of the window. A 1 minute warning will be displayed.

If a student exceeds the time limit, Blackboard accepts the submission (unless you use a special script that is available to force submission), but notes the overage on the receipt that is displayed to the student:

Time Elapsed: 1 hour, 5 minutes and 30 seconds out of 1 hour allowed.

An exclamation mark is produced in the Grade Center for that assessment item. When you view the student's assessment results, you will see the same message regarding the time that the student saw. The assessment must be graded manually.

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Twitter Feed

How can I add a Twitter Feed to my Blackboard site?

You have probably seen Twitter feeds published to major news websites. If you use Blackboard, it is easy to publish your tweets (or the results of a particular Twitter search) to your blackboard course. 

This PDF contains step-by-step instructions -- just make sure you are logged into Twitter on your computer before you begin.

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Video Everywhere (Record from Webcam) New Feature - Summer 2013

How can I quickly add a video to any  part of my course site?

Use Video Everywhere (Record from Webcam).  This feature provides the ability for faculty and students to:

• Record a video on the fly using a webcam and have it seamlessly embedded in course materials, interactions (discussion boards, blogs), and grading feedback.
• Reuse previously recorded videos by choosing from one’s own “library” of videos.

You can record video from the content editor and upload it directly to YouTube™. You must have a Google^® account that is registered on YouTube. A YouTube channel is required to process and save your webcam videos.

Note: Video everywhere is not available when the content editor only allows limited text formatting, such as when sending email or creating groups. 

See brief YouTube video about Video Everywhere.

How does Video Everywhere work?

1. Click Recorder and select Record from Webcam. Your school and instructors can disable this tool.

   

2. When prompted, click Sign in to YouTube.

   

3. Sign in to YouTube using your Google account. Click Grant Access to allow your Blackboard server to upload video on your behalf.

   If your Google account has not yet been enabled for YouTube access, you will receive a prompt to open a new browser tab and log in to YouTube. Once logged in to YouTube, create your YouTube channel to upload and store your videos. Navigate back to the video everywhere window and click Sign in to YouTube. Click Grant Access.

4. Click Record from webcam.
5. When you are prompted by Adobe Flash to enable the player settings, accept or agree.
6. Agree to allow the recorder to upload videos to YouTube.
7. Click Start Recording. When you are finished, click Stop Recording.
8. Click Upload to save your video on YouTube.
9. Click Insert to add the video to the content editor. A placeholder appears in the content editor where your video will play for viewers.

   

10. Your video appears in your content item. It takes a few minutes to encode the video so it may not play immediately. You might even receive a "This video is unavailable" message. Wait a few minutes and try again.

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WebSpace Integration with Blackboard

How can I share my WebSpace files with my Blackboard site?

There are two tools to facilitate sharing WebSpace files within Blackboard. One creates a link within your Blackboard site content areas to a file or folder in WebSpace; the other, the WebSpace Dropbox, creates a shared drop box in which students can deposit files and view files submitted by their classmates.

Any resource file that you as an instructor have access to within WebSpace can be made accessible to students in your Blackboard course site, without requiring you to copy and then re-upload that resource into the Blackboard system or to change file permissions in WebSpace.

Before you can share your resources in WebSpace, you must populate it with the files to be shared. To do so, log into WebSpace at https://webspace.princeton.edu/ and upload your files.

To allow your students to access your WebSpace files and folders from within a Blackboard content area, follow these steps:

1. Open a Content Area.
2. Edit Mode is ON.
3. Click More.
4. Select Add Link to WebSpace.
5. You will be presented with a page labeled Add WebSpace Links, listing the folders and files in the Home Directory of your WebSpace account, with a toolbar at the top providing four tools: "Up," "Add to Cart," "See Cart," and "Make Links." This page offers a shopping cart metaphor for selecting files and/or folders (directories) that make links to the WebSpace resource(s) in your Blackboard course.
6. Folders will appear first on your list, and are active links - you can click on a folder name to view its contents. The "Up" tool allows you to navigate up the directory tree to a folder that is a parent of the one you are currently viewing.
7. Click on the checkboxes next to items (which can be either folders or files) to select them for adding to your shopping cart. Selecting a folder will provide links to all the files and subfolders within that folder on your Blackboard course site.
8. Clicking on a folder name or the "Up" tool will allow you to navigate among your various folders. Click on "Make Links" to create the links in the Blackboard course. Once checking that you have made the choices you intended, click on "Make Links" again to confirm them.
9. In the resulting display, you are able to modify the "Display Name," which can provide a name for the link that better expresses its content to your students.
10. Click OK to complete the process of adding the links to your Blackboard site.

Links created through the above method utilize an internal ticketing mechanism, allowing an instructor to expose WebSpace files from within Blackboard without concern for user permissions as they are set in WebSpace.

What is WebSpace?

WebSpace is a web-accessible file storage service provided by OIT.  With 5GB of storage allocated to each user account, WebSpace allows simple and secure access (uploads, downloads, etc.) to your files from any computer on the Internet using a web browser such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari. You can also use WebDAV technology to access your WebSpace folders, allowing you to drag and drop files to your WebSpace  folders.

To create your account, go to WebSpace www.princeton.edu/webspace and log in using your Princeton NetID and password. You can begin working immediately with your private folder, which you can use to store and share your files. Once you have created your account, you can continue to work with WebSpace via your web browser or your preferred WebDAV client, see the knowledgebase entry on how to connect to WebSpace.

WebSpace is one of several collaboration tools offered by OIT. It allows users to collaborate with one another by providing a mechanism for transferring and sharing files that is safer and easier than using e-mail attachments or exchanging physical media. Because it is so easy to share files, even with people who do not have a Princeton NetID, WebSpace is ideal for collaboration. 

• Students can securely share their draft documents with classmates and faculty. 
• Faculty can securely share research materials with colleagues either within or external to Princeton. 
• File-level access control, versioning, tagging, descriptive metadata, and full-text search capabilities are among the additional features that help you find and manage your files and collaborate with your colleagues.
• Automated notifications can alert you when files are updated by your colleagues.
• RSS support can accelerate your publication and review processes.

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Zip Files

I have a lot of files in a .zip archive. Is there a way to upload them into Blackboard and view them as individual items in my Blackboard site?

Start by uploading your zipped package of files to Course Files:

1. Under Control Panel click Files, then click on the course ID.
2. Click the Upload button, then Upload Package.
3. Use either the Browse button to locate the package, or just drag-and-drop it into the upload area. (Uploading multiple files and folders requires the Java plugin, version 1.5 or later. If the plugin is not available, use the Single File option found in the top right to add files one at a time.)
4. After adding files to the list, click Submit to upload and unpackage to file. (If an upload fails, click Cancel to remove all uploaded files and return to the parent folder.)
5. Now go to the content item (Course Materials, for example) and use the Build Content > Create Item or Create File path. When you select the file to attach, use the Browse Course button to locate the unzipped files you uploaded to your Course Files area. You can select multiple files.

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Bb9.1 Instructor Manual

Bb9.1 User Manual

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Blackboard Help Line (609) 258-0737